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Working-class heroes is an organic melding of history, music, and politics that demonstrates with colorful evidence that workers everywhere will struggle to improve their conditions of life. And among them will be workers who share an insight: in order to better our lot, we must act collectively to change the world. This profusely illustrated treasury of song sheets, lyrics, photographs, histories, and biographical sketches explores the notion that our best hope lies in the capacity of ordinary working people to emancipate ourselves and all of humanity. Featuring more than a dozen songwriters, from Joe Hill to Aunt Molly Jackson, Working-class heroes delivers a lyrical deathblow to the myth that so-called political songs of the 20th century were being written by intellectuals in New York. The songs collected here have a striking relevance to current affairs and invite us to explore the historical conditions that inspired their creation: systemic crisis, advancing fascism, and the threat of world war. These working-class songwriters showed courage and heroism that is immortal, and such heroes and their work should be celebrated still today

Online resource; title from PDF title page (EBSCO, viewed June 24, 2019)

Includes bibliographical references

Front Cover; Title Page; Half Title; Copyright; Contents; Introduction; There Is Mean Things Happening In This Land; Singers, Songs, and Heroes: Biographical Sketches; Notes on the Songs; Words and Music; Come All You Coal Miners; There Is Mean Things Happening In This Land; I Am A Girl Of Constant Sorrow; Come On Friends And Let's Go Down; I Am A Union Woman; I Hate The Capitalist System; Mama Don't 'Low No Bush-Wahs Hangin' Around; Dreadful Memories; The Murder Of Harry Simms; The Mill Mother's Song; Toiling On Life's Pilgrim Pathway; Rock-A-Bye Baby; Going Down The Road Feelin' Bad

SkinnamalinkadooliumA Fool There Was; The Preacher And The Slave; Joe Hill; We Have Fed You All For A Thousand Years; No More Mournin; The Commonwealth Of Toil; Sources; Appendix: Music and Historical Memory; Acknowledgments; About the Editors

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